The Iraqi Kurds have enjoyed de facto statehood in the north of Iraq for over a decade but Intra-Kurdish fighting, military incursions by Turkey and Iran and the constant threat posed by Saddam Hussein have plagued this 'democratic experiment'. In this book, Stansfield explores the development of the Kurdish political system since 1991. He examines the difficult and often violent relations between the two dominant powers, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and their relationship with the Kurdish Regional Government in order to understand the current state of Iraqi Kurdish politics and the operation of the state.This topical in-depth study identifies the main dynamics of Iraqi Kurdish politics, analyzes the record and potential of the 'Kurdish democratic experiment', and identifies the present and future Kurdish leaders.
Author(s): Gare Stansfield
Year: 2003
Language: English
Pages: 280
Book Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 4
Contents......Page 5
List of figures......Page 10
List of tables......Page 11
Foreword......Page 12
Acknowledgements......Page 14
List of abbreviations......Page 16
Introduction......Page 18
Theory and methodology......Page 28
Contextual analysis......Page 43
The development of the party political system......Page 77
The decision-making processes of the KDP and PUK......Page 111
The organizational structure of the Kurdistan Regional Government(s)......Page 138
The Kurdistan Regional Government(s), 1992 2002......Page 162
Conclusion......Page 194
Postscript......Page 198
Appendix 1 Population statistics......Page 203
Appendix 2 Key agreements between parties......Page 209
Appendix 3 Party lists......Page 215
Appendix 4 Election results and KNA representatives......Page 218
Notes......Page 226
Bibliography......Page 255
Index......Page 273
